[2] Musician in the Ducal Orchestra, or Court Musician.
[3] Er, or he, used in this mode of address, is a contemptuous style of expression in the German language, which has its equivalent only in the English word fellow, used in a rude sense.
[4] It is related of Viotti (the father of Modern Violin-Playing) when thus established in London as a Wine-merchant, that, a Nobleman who had previously been a great admirer and patron of his talent, rebuked him for having abandoned his art to become a dealer in Wine! “My dear Sir” replied Viotti, “I have done so, simply because I find that the English like Wine better than Music!”
[5] One Fredericks d’or (single) = 16s 6d English.
[6] This pun on the idem sonans of the word “Beer” with “Bär” anglice “Bear”, being almost as obvious in the English as the German, will be readily understood by the reader.
[7] Afterwards architect to the Court of Brunswick, and father of the well known harpiste Rosalie Spohr.
[8] This Canon was found among Spohr’s manuscripts, and a fac-simile is appended to this volume.
[9] Musician to the Corporation.
[10] The Step-daughter of the Dutchess, afterwards married to the Duke of Coburg, and mother of the present reigning Duke and of His R. H. the late Prince Albert, Consort of the Queen of England.
[11] Bernhard Romberg, also, constantly smoked while playing, and I once heard him in his house at Gotha, executed his most difficult Concerto in F-Minor, without taking the pipe from his mouth.